Testing

ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) 

The AP Examinations are offered annually to give high school students the opportunity to demonstrate college level achievement. 

Cazenovia High School offers exams in:

• Art

• Computer Science (not being offered in 2025-26)

• US Government & Politics

• World History

• English Language

• English Literature

• Calculus AB

• Chemistry

• Physics

• Biology

• US History

The exams are given in May and the students receive their scores online approximately mid-July.  

Final grades, based on the student's entire examination, are reported on a five point scale: 5 - extremely well qualified, 4 - well qualified, 3 - qualified, 2 - possibly qualified, 1 - no recommendation. More than a thousand colleges and universities collaborate in the program. Well over 100 such institutions stand ready to grant course credit on the strength of four and in some cases three Advanced Placement scores, thus offering students real savings and advancement in their education. 

Students signing up for AP courses are expected to take AP exams in May. The day of the exam is considered a regular school day and any student taking the exam is expected to be in school for the morning if they have an afternoon exam, and return to school afterwards if they have a morning exam. The cost is approximately $97.00 per exam but may prove to be the most inexpensive way to obtain college course credit when one considers the cost of on-campus college courses. Fee reductions for exams are granted each year to students based on family income. To apply see the Assistant Principal. 

PSAT/NMSQT 

Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test & National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test - The PSAT/NMSQT is a test that measures written expression, verbal and mathematical reasoning abilities important in college work. Most students are juniors at the time they take the PSAT/NMSQT, but some take it as sophomores. The test is co-sponsored by the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) and is developed and administered for them by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The cost is approximately $20.00 per student. 

Information from the PSAT/NMSQT can be helpful to students and their counselors in planning a student's education beyond high school. PSAT/NMSQT scores can be used to estimate a student's probable performance on the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), which is required for admission to many colleges. Such an estimate is possible because the PSAT/NMSQT is a shortened version of the SAT and its score scale of 20 to 80 is equivalent to the 200 - 800 SAT scale. (A verbal score of 41 on the PSAT/NMSQT, for instance, is comparable to an SAT verbal score of 410). 

The PSAT/NMQST is the qualifying test for students who wish to participate in the nationwide scholarship competitions by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Although students are permitted to take the PSAT/NMQST for guidance purposes more than one time, they may compete for scholarships offered by NMSC only once. Students who qualify for Special Accommodation on Standardized Tests should contact their School Counselor to ensure that modifications are provided.